You may have developed a list of resolutions for the New Year, or set goals for your ministry, but have you planned for a little personal development? Your ministry, your work, will only be as solid as YOU are. So why not invest in your ministry AND yourself? I’m here... read more
It was my first youth ministry job interview. During the month of March, in my last semester of seminary, I drove to Cincinnati to meet with the church’s administrative board. We talked about the usual kinds of issues, like how to counsel teens, my vision and strategy, and how to... read more
I am currently in my fourth year of ministry and have worked with girls of all different ages. As a female who has been both a student and a leader in youth ministry, it is not hard to see that it is primarily a male culture. While I have learned... read more
Well, it’s 2019. As we celebrate a brand new year we take time to reminisce on the past while anxiously anticipate what is to come. In an effort to fully embrace all the newness that 2019 has brought, I thought I would take a moment and be honest and vulnerable... read more
At the heart of the Christmas story is an invitation. An invitation to come and encounter the birth of God in the form of a baby. Christmas is the time of year when we are once again in awe of the fact that God came to earth. That is worth... read more
If it can be said that America runs on Dunkin, then it can also be said that the church runs on Graphics! That’s right, almost everything we do these days in ministry requires a graphic. Wether we want to tell students to silence their phones, or remind them of an... read more
If I am honest, I don’t always love working with students. If I am honest, there are days when I would rather be doing anything else other than student ministry. If I am honest, some days I’m not having much fun. Not because I think I would be happier doing... read more
17 years ago, I was a Student Pastor at a small church in North Carolina. The world has changed a lot in 17 years, especially when it comes to technology. I know first hand as I transitioned from Student Ministry to radio, television and media ministry. Media elements have become the... read more
If Jesus Christ were to create a student program what would it look like? This is no small question and our responses to this question are worthy of deep thought, meditation, and prolonged periods of prayer. This question should lay before every pastor, church leader, and volunteer who has a... read more
Public speakers and youth communicators tend to ask many questions like: “Am I prepared for this message?” “Did I study enough?” “Will I do well?’’ All of these are excellent questions when you are getting ready to teach or preach. I believe, though, the best question to ask is an... read more
Being an avid baseball fan growing up, one of my favorite movies was Field of Dreams. It was the classic story of a novice Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) that heard a voice while in his cornfield saying, “If you build it, he will come.” He then gets the vision of... read more
When I was in elementary school it was a regular occurrence for my parents to receive a note from school that read something like this: “Trevor is a great kid, but he talks too much.” What began as a character flaw during school time God began to use for His... read more